©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd Lake Garda & Around Includes ¨ Why Go? Lake Garda Covering 370 sq km, Lake Garda is the largest of the Ital- South Bank . 177 ian lakes, straddling the border between three regions: the Lake Garda Lombard plains to the west, Alpine Trentino Alto-Adige to West Bank . 181 the north and the rolling hills of the Veneto to the east. Look Lake Garda around and you’ll be surprised to see a Mediterranean land- North Bank . 187 scape of vineyards, olive groves and citrus orchards that is Lake Garda thanks to the lake’s uniquely mild microclimate. East Bank . .190 Like the best Italian lunch, exploring this region can’t be Verona . 195 rushed. You’ll want to linger in Sirmione’s thermal pools, Verona’s amble around Roman ruins and ferry-hop between villag- Wine Country . 200 es. Then you might consider touring vineyards that feature Valpolicella . 200 in many sommeliers’ top 10s: Valpolicella, Soave and Bar- dolino. Further south, in incurably romantic Verona, sit Soave . 204 beneath the stars and enjoy world-class opera; and, in Man- Mantua . 205 tua, feast on Renaissance frescoes. Uncork it, savour it, then come back for more. Best Places to Eat Road Distances (km) ¨ Dal Pescatore (p208) Mantua 59 ¨ La Rucola 2.0 (p180) Desenzano del Garda9855 ¨ Osteria Le Servite (p189) ¨ Agriturismo i Vegher Salò 36 21 76 (p182) Riva del Garda52887795 ¨ Locanda San Vigilio (p33) a Best Tours ¨ Isola del Garda (p183) Verona Mantua Desenzano del Gard Salò ¨ Allegrini (p201) ¨ Try Verona (p198) ¨ Azienda Agricola Zuliani (p182) 177 Poets and politicians, divas and dictators, CAR they’ve all been drawn to captivating Lake Car is by far the best way of getting around . The Garda (Lago di Garda). In fact, 7% of all tour- lake sits just north of the A4 Milan–Venice auto- ists to Italy head for the lake’s shores, taking strada, and just west of the A22 Modena–Trento to its wind-ruffled waters in the north and route . A single-lane road circles the lake shore village- and vineyard-hopping in the south. and is heavy with traffic in summer. Parking is Surrounded by three distinct regions – Lom- difficult everywhere. bardy, Trentino Alto-Adige and the Veneto TRAIN – the lake’s cultural diversity attracts a cos- Desenzano del Garda and Peschiera del Garda mopolitan crowd. Mitteleuropeans colonise are both on the Milan–Venice train line and have northern resorts such as Riva del Garda hourly trains in each direction . Excellent connec- and Torbole, where restaurants serve air- tions with Verona make the city an easy day trip . dried ham and Austrian-style carne salada (salted beef), while in the south, French and Italian families bed down in Valtenesi farm- LAKE GARDA SOUTH BANK houses and family-friendly spa towns such as Sirmione and Bardolino. Sirmione 8 Getting There & Away % 030 / POP 7650 Built on the end of an impossibly thin, AIR appendix-like peninsula sticking out from Verona-Villafranca airport (p200) is 20km the southern shore, pretty Sirmione has from the lake . Regular buses link the airport drawn the likes of Catullus and Maria Cal- with Mantua and Verona; Peschiera del Garda is las to its banks over the centuries, and today 15 minutes by train from Verona . millions of visitors follow in their footsteps BOAT for a glimpse of Lake Garda’s prettiest vil- Navigazione Lago di Garda (% 030 914 95 lage and a dip in its only hot spring. 11; www navigazionelaghi. it). Lake Garda has a & GARDA LAKE surprisingly extensive ferry network . One-day, 1 Sights & Activities unlimited-travel foot-passenger tickets include: oGrotte di Catullo ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE lake-wide (adult/reduced €34 30/17. 60);. (%030 91 61 57; www grottedicatullo. .beniculturali . lower lake (€23 40/12. 40);. and upper lake it; Piazzale Orti Manara 4; adult/reduced €6/3, with (€20 50/11). Sample single passenger fares include Sirmione to Salò (adult/reduced Rocca Scaligera €10/5; h8 .30am-7 .30pm Tue- €9 80/5. 90). and Riva del Garda to Sirmione Sat & 9 .30am-6 .30pm Sun summer, 8 .30am-5pm Tue-Sat & 8 .30am-2pm Sun winter) A (adult/reduced €15 10/8. 60). Car ferries link Occupying ROUND Toscolano-Maderno with Torri del Benaco and 2 hectares at Sirmione’s northern tip, this (seasonally) Limone with Malcesine . ruined 1st century AD Roman villa is a pic- There are no ferries in winter; services are turesque complex of teetering stone arches L G P A laces reduced in spring and autumn . and tumbledown walls, some three storeys etting K high. It’s the largest domestic Roman villa E BUS G in northern Italy and wandering its terraced arda ATV (% 045 805 79 22; www atv. verona. it). to hillsides offers fantastic views. T Runs buses up the lake’s west side, including E regular connections between Desenzano del Despite the name, there’s no evidence Ca- here S Garda train station and Riva del Garda, via Salò tullus lived here, although the poet did have at a home in the village. Significantly, the liv- O & A and Gardone . ATV also runs shuttles along the U lake’s east shore with regular services between ing quarters were on the top floor, offering th WA Riva del Garda and Verona, via Garda . 360-degree vistas of the surrounding waters; B % an SIA ( 840 620001; www arriva. it). Operates it seems the Romans too liked rooms with Y regular buses from Brescia up the western side a view. K of the lake to Riva del Garda (€9, three hours, two-hourly) . It also runs hourly buses linking oAquaria SPA Brescia with Desenzano, Sirmione, Peschiera (%030 91 60 44; www termedisirmione. com;. and Verona along the southern shore . Piazza Piatti; pools per 90min/day €19/53, treat- Trentino Trasporti (% 0461 82 10 00; www . ments from €30; hpools 9am-10pm Sun-Wed, to ttesercizio it). Connects Riva del Garda with midnight Thu-Sat Mar-Jun & Sep-Dec, 9am-mid- Trento (€4, one hour, every two hours) . night daily Jul & Aug, hours vary Jan & Feb) Sir- mione is blessed with a series of offshore thermal springs that pump out water at a .